Bold and Easy Coloring Pages

• Chunky food: a stack of pancakes, a slice of cake, a mug of cocoa and a bowl of noodles
• Simple animals: a round cat, a frog on a lily pad, a bear with a scarf and a duck in rain boots
• Plants in pots: a cactus, a monstera leaf and three succulents on a shelf
• Everyday objects: a teapot, a pair of mittens and a retro radio
• Little scenes: a mushroom cottage, a camper trailer by a tree and a window with a sleeping cat
• Big florals: three tulips and a sunflower with oversized petals

The style follows three rules.

1. Thick outlines. Lines are two or three times heavier than on a standard page. They hide small slips, so staying inside them takes little effort.
2. Large shapes. Each area is big enough to fill with the side of a marker. Nothing needs a sharp pencil point.
3. Very little background. One subject sits in open white space, sometimes with a few stars or dots around it.

The result looks clean even when you color fast. That's why the style has caught on with adults who want to relax without committing to a three-hour mandala.

Who it suits. Beginners. Anyone with tired eyes at the end of the day. People with arthritis, tremors or low vision who find fine detail frustrating. Seniors in activity groups. And young children, who get the thick lines they need without a babyish subject.

Best tools. Alcohol markers are the favorite, because they lay down smooth, streak-free color across large areas. Water-based markers and paint pens work too. Print on cardstock or marker paper and put a spare sheet underneath, since alcohol ink bleeds through thin paper. Crayons and colored pencils are fine, though big areas take longer to fill.

A simple palette trick. Pick three or four colors that look good together and use only those. Flat color with no shading is the look. For help choosing pens, see our guide to the best markers for coloring.